Your nature year
Champaign, Illinoisthrough the year
Also for Urbana, IL: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Champaign?
Expect about 192 frost-free days in Champaign: the last spring frost usually comes around Apr 15, the first fall one around Oct 24, going by NOAA's Champaign 3s station 2.7 miles away. Spring green-up reaches town around Mar 29, with first blooms around Apr 27.
Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. We follow 5 places within 150 miles of Champaign; the nearest lies 93 miles to the west. Chautauqua Refuge, 93 miles from Champaign, is the nearest winter wildlife spot on this site, Migration typically peaks in November (usually). Indiana Dunes (121 mi) is the pick for fall foliage, usually around mid-October. Across Illinois, fall color is usually well under way by late October.
Updated Sep 29. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Near Champaign right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by late October in IllinoisStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~4 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Oct 24 · last spring frost around Apr 15NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Champaign 3s (2.7 mi, 50% dates)~3 weeks
- Fall foliage · Indiana Dunes · 121 miusually around mid-October~11 days
Your guide around Champaign
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Indiana Dunes · 121 miusually around mid-October~11 days
Wildflowers
- Indiana Dunes · 121 miUsually: Most years, the wildflowers peak from late April through mid-May~7 months
Winter wildlife
- Chautauqua Refuge · 93 miUsually: Migration typically peaks in November~5 weeks
- Emiquon Refuge · 97 miUsually: migration typically peaks in November~5 weeks
- Meredosia Refuge · 122 miUsually: migration typically peaks in November~5 weeks
Champaign's nature year
- Mar: Spring green-upMar
- Wildflowers · Indiana DunesApr–May
- Apr: Last spring frostApr
- Oct: Fall color (IL)Oct
- Oct: First fall frostOct
- Nov: Winter wildlife · Chautauqua RefugeNov
Champaign's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 15 to ~Oct 24
- First leaf ~Mar 29
- First bloom ~Apr 27
- Fall color under way ~Oct 27 (IL)
- Today
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 15
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 24
About 192 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Mar 29
First bloom around Apr 27
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Champaign 3s (2.7 mi from Champaign), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Snow in Champaign
Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 5 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Champaign 3s (2.7 mi away): 21 inches of snow in an average year, about 6.7 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Champaign?
On average around Oct 24, and the last spring frost around Apr 15: about 192 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Champaign 3s, 2.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Champaign?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 29 and first bloom around Apr 27, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Champaign?
Indiana Dunes, 121 miles (usually around mid-October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Champaign?
Indiana Dunes, 121 miles (usually: Most years, the wildflowers peak from late April through mid-May). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Champaign?
Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 5: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Champaign 3s. An average year brings 21 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 29)